Locking mechanism for railway-switches



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LOGKING MECHANISM FOR RAILROAD SWITCHES-i.

No. 382,530. Patented'May 8, 1888 WITNESSES. Eda/67L ZZyea/eZZ,

UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR RAlLWAY-SWITCHESL SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetters Patent No. 382,530, dated May 8, 188 8.

" Application filed December 5, 1887. Serial No.2 56,999. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES H. J OHNSON and CHARLES ALLEN, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Ohillicothe,Wapello county, State ofIowa, have invented new and useful. Improvements in Locking Mechanismfor Railroad-Switches, of which the following isa specification. I

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in lockingmechanism for railroad-switches; and it consists, substantially, in suchfeatures of arrangement, construction, and combinations of parts, aswill hereinafter be more particularly described.

In many former instances with this class of inventions it has been usualto depend entirely upon simple bolts or pins to hold railroad switchesto their shifted positions, and which mode of locking is frequently soinsecure that accidents occur to the trains, resulting in great loss oflife and property. It has further been common to resort to various modesof auxiliary mechanism for looking railroad switches; but the mostsecure and reliable of these are of such complicated form as to renderthe same both too expensive for use and difficult to operate.

The object of our invention is to supply a simplified form of lockingmechanism for railroad-switches, which in points of effectiveness 7 andease of operation will be found to possess much superiority over manyformer inventions for a like purpose, all as will more fully hereinafterappear when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,wherein-* Figure 1 represents in perspective a View of a railroad-switchand its operating mechanism, together with thelockingmechanism'embodying our invention. Fig. 2 represents a View ofthe lock in perspective, wherein the same is disconnected from themechanism that operates the same.

Reference being had to the several parts by the letters marked thereon,A A representtwo rails constituting the main track, and B B indicate theswitch-rails, the former being recessed in their sides, as at a, bywhich proper intersection of the latter therewith will'be had whenshifted.

The mechanism for operating the switch tached in any suitable mannertothe under side of the switch-rail and linked at. its outer consists ofa rod or flat strip of -metal', a, at-

end to the end of a curved lever, c, that is connected to asmallcrank,d, carried by the lower end of an upright operating-shaft, c. This shaftis suitably supported in the stand c,and is provided at its upper endwith a hand-lever, D, for turning the same to shift the switchrails. Thesaid hand-lever moves between two arc-shaped guides,ff, and is held toits positions by means of a, bolt or pin, 9, entering openings in suchguides, as, shown, the said pin or bolt'being fastened to the guides orshaft by means of a small chain q', so as to prevent its loss and to bealways conveniently at hand when wanted.

The switch-lock consists of a rock-shaft held in bearings l 1, securedto the tie on which the ends of the switch-rails rest, the said shafthaving thereon dogs 2 2, designed to turn up alongside'the switch-railsin the manner hereinafter explained. These dogs are adjustable on theshaft by means of the set-screws 3 3, so as to be accommodated to suitvarying conditions of the position of the rails, due to looseningthereof and like causes resultant from heavy loads'passing thereover. Onthe end of this shaft E is'carried a crank, h, to which is movablyconnected a toggle-lever, F, which in turn is movably connected to abell-crank like manner as the armor leverc, and in this way it will beseen that both the mechanism for shifting the switch and that forlockingthe same will act simultaneously. The shorter arm of thebell-crank lever is formed or provided with perforations 5, so that agreater or less turning of the locking-dogs may be had by simplyadjusting the point of connection of 5 the curved arm H therewith.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that when it is desiredto shift the switchtrack all that is necessary to do is to simply movethe hand-lever in its guides, whereupon rod the upright shaft will beturned and the shifting effected through the medium of the describedconnections. It will also be seen that at the same time the curved arm Hwill exert a draw or pull upon the shorter arm of the bell-crank lever,thereby drawing the longer arm thereof backwardly and causing the shaftto turn in its bearings through the aid of the toggle-lever. This willbring the dogs up over to rest alongside of and close to theswitchrails; and it is evident that by inserting the pin or bolt throughthe openings in the guides for the hand-lever the said lockingdog willbe held securely in place, and thereby prevent the ends of the railsfrom slipping out of position.

Having thus described our invention, whatwe claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In locks for railroadswitches, the combination, with the rock shaftbearing adjustable dogs designed to turn up alongside theswitchrails andcarrying at one end a crank, of a toggle-lever movably connected to saidcrank, a bell-crank lever movabl y connected to said or bolt passingthrough openings in said guides for holding the parts to their positionswhen operated in substantially the manner shown and described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. JOHNSON. CHARLES ALLEN. Witnesses:

W. E; CHAMBERS, J ENNIE EMME'I.

